When you need to connect to a Wi-Fi network and your password is lost or forgotten, it is one of the most common problems for users of smart devices. Xiaomi routers often face this when buying a new gadget or after resetting the router to factory values. Fortunately, the company has provided several reliable ways to restore access to the network that do not require deep technical knowledge.
There is a physical way to verify data, and a software way to do it via a web interface or a mobile application. The standard password is most often listed on the factory label, but if it's changed by the user, more sophisticated methods will be needed. Understanding how the Mi Router security system works will help solve the problem quickly without calling a specialist.
In this article, we will take a look at all possible password locations, including hidden menus and system files, learn to distinguish between the administrator password and the Wi-Fi security key, as these are two different accounts, and discuss security issues and why standard values are best changed immediately after purchasing equipment.
Data search on the device body and documentation
The first and most obvious step is to look carefully at the router itself. There's always a sticker on the bottom or back of a Xiaomi device. That's where the manufacturer puts the factory settings necessary for the initial configuration. Look for a box that says "Wi-Fi Password" or "Key" next to which there's a set of characters.
If the sticker is erased or damaged, refer to the original packaging. The box often duplicates information about the network SSID and access key. In addition, a paper instruction or warranty card can be included with the router, where this data is also sometimes prescribed by hand or in printed type.
⚠️ Note: If you have previously changed your password through settings, the data on the sticker will be irrelevant, in this case, they will only work after the device is completely reset before the factory settings (Hard Reset).
It is important to understand the difference between PIN-code WPS And a full Wi-Fi password. WPS It is usually 8 digits long and is used for fast pairing without entering a complex combination of characters. To connect most smartphones and laptops, you will need a basic security key that can contain letters and numbers.
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Take a photo of the sticker from the back of the router immediately after you buy it and save it to the cloud, which will save you from losing data if the label fades or gets damaged over time.
Using the Mi Wi-Fi app to view the key
Modern Xiaomi routers are sharpened to control via a smartphone, which greatly simplifies the life of the user. the official Mi Wi-Fi app (or Xiaomi Home) allows you not only to configure the network, but also to view current security settings.
Once you log in to the app interface, you go to the Wi-Fi settings section, which displays the network name and the password field, and it's often hidden with asterisks for security, but there's always a Show button or an eye icon nearby, and you click on it and you'll see a real password in a text format that you can copy or dictate.
The application functionality also allows you to generate QR-Guest access code: By scanning this code with another device, the guest can connect to the network without manually entering characters, a convenient way to share access without disclosing the security key itself. However, if you need to know exactly the text string, use the password display function in the main settings.
In some versions of MIWiFi OS firmware, access to the full display of the password may be limited by administrator rights. Make sure you log in to an account that has device owner rights. Guest accounts in the Xiaomi ecosystem often have limited functionality and do not allow you to change or view critical security settings.
Log in to the administrator web interface
The classic way to manage a router is to log in through a browser. To do this, you must enter in the address bar of any browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox) IP-For Xiaomi routers, the standard address is 192.168.31.1 or the domain name miwifi.com. Once the address is entered, the system will request authorization.
It's important to not confuse the two types of passwords here: the first is the password to log into the control panel (admin password), and the second is the password from Wi-Fi. If you forget the administrator password, it is more difficult to restore it, often requires a reset. If you logged into the panel, you can find the Wi-Fi key in the section "Wireless Settings" or "Wireless Settings".
http://192.168.31.1
http://miwifi.comThe web interface is structured in more detail than the app, and you can see encryption (WPA2/WPA3), frequency range (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) and individually defined passwords for the guest network, which gives you full control over network security and allows you to make changes that are not available in the mobile version of the interface.
☑️ Verification of access to the web interface
Viewing saved passwords on the computer
If you had a laptop or a desktop computer running Windows on your Wi-Fi network, the password could have been saved to the system, even if you forgot the key itself, but the device automatically connects to the network. Retrieve password is available through standard operating system tools.
To do this, you need to open Network and Sharing Center, select an active wireless connection, and go to Wireless Network Properties. In the Security tab, you need to tick the box against "Display Typed Signs," and the system will show the stored key in the text box.
For advanced users, you can view all the stored networks through the command line, and this method allows you to see passwords not only from the current network, but from all previously known Wi-Fi networks, which is especially useful if you want to remember the password from the network that the computer connected to in the past.
netsh wlan show profile name="NAME" key=clearIn the command line window that opens, after you execute the command, you will find the Key Content field, which will indicate the desired password. Please note that administrator rights may be required to execute this command on the Windows operating system.
Reset router settings to factory
If none of these things worked, and you don't remember the Wi-Fi password or the administrator password, the last radical method is Hard Reset, which will return the router to the state it was when it left the factory, and any settings you changed will be deleted.
To perform a reset, the Xiaomi router has a special hole, often labeled "Reset", which is pressed on the button inside the hole with a thin object (clip or toothpick) and hold it for 5-10 seconds.
⚠️ Note: After resetting, the router will work with the default settings. You will have to reconfigure the type of connection to the provider (PPPoE, L2TP, Dynamic IP) and set new names and passwords for Wi-Fi.
Once you reboot, the device will broadcast an open network or network with a password on the sticker, so you can connect to it and reset the initial setup, which is a good reason to set a complex password that is difficult to match and write it to a secure location.
What to do if the provider uses a binding MAC-address?
Table of standard data for popular models
Different Xiaomi router models may have slight differences in the default factory settings. Below is a table that will help you navigate the standard settings for the most popular devices. This data is relevant for devices that have not been reset or that have not been reconfigured by the user.
| Model router | IP-default | Login of the administrator | Wi-Fi Password (by Default) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi Mi Router 4A | 192.168.31.1 | admin | It's on the sticker. |
| Xiaomi Mi Router Pro | 192.168.31.1 | No (as specified when setting up) | It's on the sticker. |
| Xiaomi Redmi AC2100 | 192.168.31.1 | No (as specified when setting up) | Not available (open network) |
| Xiaomi Mi Router 3G | 192.168.31.1 | admin | It's on the sticker. |
As you can see from the table, in modern models, the company has abandoned the universal administrator password in favor of custom settings on the first turn on, which greatly improves the level of protection of user data. However, the Wi-Fi password is still often factory-based unless the user manually changed it.
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The factory passwords on the sticker are valid only until the first setting change, and if the router was in use, it's likely that the standard data is no longer relevant.